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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22702927">Cross My Heart</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/of_rivers_and_moons/pseuds/of_rivers_and_moons'>of_rivers_and_moons</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Goldenflower, Nightflower [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Animal Gods and Goddeses, Descent into Villainy, Gen, OC's - Freeform, Self-Hatred</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 12:08:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,369</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22702927</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/of_rivers_and_moons/pseuds/of_rivers_and_moons</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>History scrolls and people don't always tell the whole story. Now, let me tell you the true story of a woman that descended into madness.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Nobody yet</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Goldenflower, Nightflower [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1669111</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Goldenflower</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Once there was a blonde woman named Chikara, who gained the power of the world in her hands when she was 21 years old. She did the correct thing, and used her new found power to help those in need, giving up many things so that they could prosper. Her power would eventually grow into selfishness, using it for her own desires. Her own children, Taiyō and Yue, would rebel and kill her. The two sons then made the Gods and Goddesses that would watch over the world. </p><p><br/>
That was how the story went, how it always goes. </p><p><br/>
History is fickle, people always change everything.</p><p><br/>
Now, let them tell you the true story of the powerful woman, the first Mage and Sorcerer, Chikara and why she descended into villainy. </p><p><br/>
Chikara was known for her unyielding kindness against others. Though those that mock and berate, she never falls for them. She was quite curious, as well. She would always go out, day and night, to search for new things, sometimes bringing back home some new times of rocks, plants, or even spices to her small village, ruled by the kind <br/>
ruler, Hinata.</p><p><br/>
One night, she ventured far out then she usually did.</p>
<hr/><p>"Dark and damp..." she muttered, tying up her hair with her necklace. She tightened the clasp. Quickly pulling over her kimono over more, she walked into the dark cave. </p><p><br/>
The lantern she held guided her throughout the stone walls, engraved with the marks of people that have been there before. It made her curious. What did they find? How did they find it? Why did they leave?</p><p><br/>
She subconsciously watched the flames of the lantern dance around as if they were algae caught in a river. When she put her lantern over a more hollow space of the cave, it suddenly bursted into a bigger fire, yet it was still dancing softly. She wrapped her hand around the sleeves of her kimono, opened up the lantern, and helped her palm out.</p><p><br/>
The fires touched her fingertips, but they didn't burn her and latch on to give her a forever mark. They felt hot, and yet cold at the same time. She pulled away, and the embers floated upwards like snow.</p><p><br/>
Curious, she held it near the spot again. Again, it bursted. </p><p><br/>
She reached her hand out and touched the wall, it responded and moved backwards, landing on the stone ground with a loud "thunk!". What she saw amazed her forever. </p><p><br/>
A golden flower. It was large, the petals seemingly infinite as they outstretched into the cave. </p><p><br/>
She looked up and saw clouds covering the moon, they then moved away, and the flowers petals glistened. </p><p><br/>
Temptation stared at her.</p><p><br/>
She blinked and fell.</p><p><br/>
She touched the flower, and pulled away to reveal beautiful droplets of a golden substance. Without thinking, she licked it off.</p><p><br/>
Her eyes widened as she felt a sudden surge of power run through her, igniting her, engulfing her, wrapping her around their tentacles like a octopus protecting its eggs. She felt her eyes glow with blinding light, and something hot placed upon her head.</p><p><br/>
She fell unconscious.</p>
<hr/><p>When she awoke, the golden flower was still there, the golden substance now dried. It looked more beautiful in daylight. Chikara grabbed her lantern, which was still burning, and looked at her face.<br/>
 </p><p>Her hair was now white, flowing past her face like they were curtains. The burning sensation she felt on her forehead was revealed to be a rhombus. She touched her face and found that her nails were now forever red. </p><p><br/>
What did the flower do? </p><p><br/>
Chikara got up and ran out of the cave, wondering that if the villagers would even recognize her. As she stepped out of the cave and into the sun, she inquired what would happen now.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Things change</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Chikara went back into the village, everyone stared at her like she was kind of specimen. Nervously, she looked back and forth at the lantern to see if she was wrong.</p><p><br/>She wasn't.</p><p><br/>It scared her, really. Who wouldn't be after you ingest a substance that you don't know about? I mean, unless that liquid changed your entire appearance than you should be more horrified than usual. </p><p><br/>"Uh. . . hi? It's me, Chikara?"</p><p><br/>All of them stayed silent.</p><p><br/>Chikara regretted her adventurous nature right now.</p><hr/><p>As she walked home, sweat was dripping down her face in order to cool off her flustered skin. The hell was in that liquid? What was that flower? The albino really wished she hadn't gone out last night.</p><p><br/>She opened the door swiftly before closing it behind her. Once she did, she made sure to go into the most sound-proof room to vent.</p><p><br/>By venting she meant screaming her heart out.</p><p><br/>"WHAT THE HELL DID I DRINK!? WHY WAS THERE A FLOWER THAT WAS THE SIZE OF A WAGON IN THERE!? WHY IS MY HAIR DIFFERENT!? WHY ARE MY NAILS RED!? ALSO, WHAT THE HECK IS THIS THING ON MY HEAD!?" </p><p><br/>She sighed and groaned "Gāisi de. . . (Damn it in Chinese)"</p><p><br/>Chikara walked out of the room and began to scourge her house for anything to cover her face or hair. Hood, shroud, viel, anything to cover it. When she couldn't find anything, she sighed and grabbed a old kimono.</p><p><br/>Time for Plan B.</p><p> </p><hr/><p><br/>Okay, Chikara didn't like what she had done. </p><p><br/>She looked like a beggar!</p><p><br/>She swiftly navigated through the streets to get to her destination: The scroll archives. She shoved herself through and took off the make-shift shroud when no one saw her. She grazed across the scrolls and ancient texts, starting her search to reverse the affects with a scroll named, 'How To Hide Your Looks'.</p><p> </p><hr/><p><br/>Nothing. </p><p><br/>Nothing. At. All. </p><p><br/>She had found NOTHING!</p><p><br/>She got out of the place by the back curtain, found a tree, and banged her head on it. But not harshly. She liked her brain cells, thank you very much.</p><p><br/>After that, she screeched into it, some passerby's looking at her concern, but chose not to help her when she held up her hand in the 'stop' gesture.</p><p><br/>Chikara went back inside and began to search for anything else. Then, she found a diary. It was by someone named Gyatsō. She plucked it out and walked to a kotatsu, sat down, and began to read. Some of the pages weren't helpful, causing her to flip through them. The only pages that did hold value were pages 54, 67, 76, and 88.</p><p>Page 54. </p><p>'The cave was dark and damp and cold. I was glad that I had brought in warm clothing. I found a yellow flower behind a hollow space, it was medium sized-' her brows furrowed, the one she saw was extra large '-with small petals. I saw that something was one the petals, so I took some. Not drink, I took some in a vial.-' she almost slammed her head on the table '-the properties of the substance were strange, they seemed to change every time it came into contact into something.'</p><p><br/>Page 67</p><p>'I collected more of the substance. I dripped it onto a flower because I wanted to see how it would effect it. The flower turned into a almost identical version of the Goldenflower, except the petals were blue and black. It also did not produce the same liquid, and instead produce pollen-' Chikara tilted her head, '-I wonder what it does?'</p><p><br/>Page 76</p><p>'Had decided to visit the black flower once again. I collected some of the pollen in another vial. Once again, I experimented with it. It reversed the effects of the Goldenflower. Yin and Yang much?' Chikara almost whooped in joy. All she needed to do was find the flower, digest the pollen, and she'd be back to normal!</p><p><br/>The joy was gone quickly.</p><p><br/>Why? She didn't know where to look for the black flower. The damn writer didn't even describe or put down the location!</p><p><br/>She sighed and read the final page.</p><p><br/>'I have decided to stop my research. I shouldn't mess with things I don't understand at all. If one does find the flower, then be cautious.' Well, that would've been helpful before.</p><p><br/>She sighed, checked out the diary, and left. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I've had this idea for a while now, and I'm happy to finally write about it! -moon</p></blockquote></div></div>
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